Tilawa 1942 : The Forgotten Tragedy

November 23, 2022 marks 80 years since the S.S.Tilawa was torpedoed and sunk off Seychelles, by a submarine during WWII. The British India Steam Navigation Company liner S.S. Tilawa, on the evening of November 20, 1942, set sail from Ballard Pier Bombay, for Durban, South Africa via the Seychelles, Mombasa and Maputo, carrying 958 passengers and a cargo of 6000 tons, which included 60 tons of silver bullion for the South Africa Mint. 678 persons were rescued by the British warship HMS Birmingham and brought back to Bombay's Ballard Pier on November 27, 1942. Mr Nichhabhai Chibabhai Solanki was one of the passengers, who unfortunately perished in this tragedy. The father-son duo of Mukesh and Emile Solanki, his descendants, will host the event on November 23, 2022 at the iconic Grand Hotel for the 80th Commemoration of S.S.Tilawa to acknowledge and memorialize the loss of lives. The last known survivor, Mr. Arvindbhai Jani who was 3 years old at the time, will also be present. S.S.Tilawa was located in December 2014 at the wreck site along with her cargo of 2364 bars of silver by London-based Argentum Exploration Ltd.

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